







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | |
| The other one is 3,000, but includes all bills. | |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | |
| Are they older or younger? | |
| Eating leftovers during the week saves me some time. | |
| Do you have a cigarette? | |
| I've got a meeting with some people. | |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | |
| They are both okay for me. | |
| Unfortunately, she is a teenager, she is 19! | |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | |
| Yes, I still don't do it. | |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| I wear some of them, can I check them when I get back? | |
| No, I don't have one! | |
| Are you serious? | |